What we need in a new attorney general
Source: The Miami Herald
September 17, 2007
The appointment of an attorney general is an historic occasion and an opportunity for Americans to celebrate their commitment to justice and the rule of law. Never has the celebration and revitalization of these principles been as important as it is today. With the long overdue resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the president has the opportunity to restore America's faith in the Department of Justice by nominating an individual that meets the nation's highest ideals for its top prosecutor.
The nation needs an attorney general who will restore the dignity and integrity of the Department of Justice. He or she must:
• Restore Americans' faith in their criminal justice system. He or she must eliminate the inappropriate consideration of partisan politics from the hiring and firing of those charged with enforcing our laws and investigate serious charges that White House political operatives scotched some investigations and pushed others to favor Republican candidates for office. He or she must reform divisions within the department, like the Civil Rights Division, which Gonzales remade to further a partisan political agenda rather than to fight crime and enforce the law.
• Rededicate the department to fighting crime. The last two attorneys general have presided over the conversion of 1,000 FBI agents from fighting crime to fighting terrorism and made no effort to replace them. Meanwhile, swayed by the administration's warped version of federalism, they slashed federal assistance to state and local law enforcement, ignoring irrefutable evidence that more police on the streets means less crime. Reports by the FBI and the Police Executive Research Forum indicate that violent crime is climbing at the fastest rate in more than a decade, with murder rates rising by double-digit percentiles in many major cities.
The president should view the nomination of a new attorney general as an opportunity to begin to rebuild the credibility of the Department of Justice in the eyes of the American public, Congress and the world. He should use the occasion to send a message that the United States abides by our Constitution, respects the rule of law and scrupulously avoids partisan influence in our criminal justice system. The president can make a small but significant step in this direction by nominating a candidate of unquestioned independence, intellect and integrity to be the next attorney general of the United States.